Traditional support devices for storing bottles, such as wine bottles, generally include a plurality of longitudinal compartments extending orthogonally from a back wall and having circular or square cross-sections. Each compartment generally receives a single bottle such that either a closure-end (also referred to as a “cork-end”) or a bottom-end of the bottle faces outwardly and can be seen through the opening of the compartment. However, this method of storing bottles is problematic for an observer wishing to quickly view a descriptive label provided on a body of the bottle (the portion of the body having the label referred to as the “label-side” of the bottle). In particular, the body of the bottle and the label are disposed within the compartment and thereby generally concealed from view. Accordingly, viewing the label on the bottle requires partially or completely removing the bottle from its storage compartment.
Improved support devices for storing bottles have allowed for aligning a bottle in one or more preferred directions in which a label-side of the bottle is readily visible to an observer without having to fully or partially remove the bottle from its displayed location. For example, in a first direction of a bottle, the bottle may be aligned such that its longitudinal axis extends generally parallel to front and back portions of the support device, such that the body of the bottle faces an observer. In a second direction of the bottle, the bottle may be aligned such that its longitudinal axis extends generally orthogonal to the front and back portions of the support device, such that either the closure-end or the bottom-end of the bottle faces the observer.
However, known support devices for storing bottles remain deficient in providing a structure that is selectively adjustable for displaying a plurality of bottles with label-sides of the bottles visible to an observer. For example, modular support devices include various individual components that must be installed, repositioned, and/or removed depending on the direction in which one or more bottles are to be aligned for display. Other designs minimize the number of components of the support device, but in doing so provide a structure that is limited in its ability to display various quantities and arrangements of bottles aligned in a particular direction. Accordingly, there remains a need for improvement of support devices for storing and displaying bottles.